It’s hard to believe that the school year is just about over! As excited as I am about not packing school lunches nightly, making sure uniforms are clean and let’s not forget about homework, the thought of having 2 kids home all summer seems not only frightening but also exhausting. My 6 year old is the type that expects to have something “fun” to do every day and is constantly bored if he isn’t getting one on one attention from me. I try to do the things he enjoys most like drawing and painting, but there are other things that need to be done like feeding his baby brother, laundry and housework. I do have a few summer camps lined up for him but not every week. After all, summer camps can get costly.
So instead of feeling defeated most days by explaining to him that we can’t go to Cool Zoo for the 3rd time this week (wish they had a membership pass!), I will try to make a schedule of events in hopes to cure his boredom AND keep my youngest son’s routine in tact as much as it can with him home all summer. I’ve seen many tips on Pinterest of ideas on how to keep a schedule during the summer with your kiddos, but sadly we all know there isn’t a schedule that works for everyone. Therefore, I’m trying to think of kid friendly things to do around the city that aren’t just fun but also easy on my bank account.
Here is my very loose schedule of weekly events for my kids to make our weeks of summer full of fun. Take note that my family has purchased memberships at both the Louisiana Children’s Museum and the Audubon Nature Institute, which is not only a savings but also lets us visit very often during the summer months. I highly suggest looking into these memberships.
Monday – Audubon Play Day
On Monday mornings we will head on down to the zoo, insectarium or the aquarium. Since we have 3 options to choose from, I don’t think Mondays will be boring!
Tuesday – Snoball tastings!
Each Tuesday we will head out to a snoball stand in hopes of trying all the top favorite NOLA spots in search for a new favorite.
Wednesday – Museum Day
On Wednesdays we will take advantage of the free admission to New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) for Louisiana Residents or go to the Louisiana Children’s Museum where we are members.
Thursday – Craft Day
I’m always looking up ideas on Pinterest for crafts and picking up clearance craft kits at stores. My kids love to do crafts so this can get fun.
Friday – Let’s make a splash!
Fridays will be spent at Cool Zoo, a splash pad or putting up our own pool and water table in the backyard while soaking up the sun!
Hopefully with a bit of a plan and some structure, this summer won’t be boring for my 6 year old and we can all have fun. By having a plan each day, we can make the most of our days instead of letting the weeks go by and wondering where they went.